As Tottenham Hotspur gear up for the most crucial stretch of their season, a cloud of concern looms over the North London club with a growing list of injury setbacks threatening to derail their campaign. Manager Ange Postecoglou now faces a race against time to get his key players fit, with Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, and Radu Dragusin all in doubt.
Dejan Kulusevski offered Spurs a major scare when he limped off just 18 minutes into their recent match following a rough challenge from Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi. The Swedish international went straight down the tunnel, sparking concern among fans and staff. Though he returned to the bench for the second half, he did not re-enter the game. Postecoglou later tried to allay fears: “Should be OK, just talking to him after. Medical team not too concerned with him, more of a knock than anything else.” However, he missed Monday’s training, and his availability for the upcoming clash against Aston Villa on May 16 remains uncertain.
In a more serious blow, James Maddison has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an injury during Spurs’ Europa League semi-final win over Bodo/Glimt. Scans revealed significant damage, sidelining him for at least three weeks, which will see him miss the Europa League final in Bilbao. His presence at the start of pre-season is now in doubt. Postecoglou commented, “I’m disappointed for him because he’s been a real catalyst for us. He’ll miss out but that’s been the story of our season.”
Young sensation Lucas Bergvall has also been ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining a ligament injury during a training session. The injury was leaked prematurely, frustrating both player and coach. “You can imagine, Lucas was devastated,” Postecoglou said. “We wanted to protect him more than anything else… but those kinds of levels of decency and respect don’t exist anymore.” The 18-year-old is now targeting a return in June.
Lastly, centre-back Radu Dragusin remains unavailable following surgery on an ACL injury suffered in February. A club statement confirmed he has started rehabilitation but won’t return until the summer.
As the season reaches its climax, Tottenham’s injury woes could prove pivotal in shaping their final standings and European hopes.
